l886.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 37 



of this fungus, larvae, from xVth to ith of an inch long, perforate 

 and consume them, leaving the thick-walled, harder cells in the 

 condition of a series of shells, rendering the sleeper useless in 

 less time than would the action of the fungus alone. When the 

 fungus attacks the sleeper on its sides or bottom, the mycelium 

 spreads over it in a beautiful arborescent manner, and requires 

 a longer time to penetrate the wood than when the attack is 

 made at the end of the sleeper. As the Lentinus lepideus fruits 

 ■ under very favorable conditions only, it is rarely found on rail- 

 way sleepers. It can be identified by certain characteristics 

 which it possesses. Associated with it, are found in great 

 abundance various species of Schizomycetes^ many of them occu- 

 pying cells adjacent to those containing the mycelium of the 

 Lentinus lepideus. The fruit spores of the last named are white, 

 abundant, 3.5// X 8y/ in size, curved, one end apiculate. The 

 annual loss to consumers of yellow pine, caused by this fungus, 

 amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars." 



